Women's Safety Audit Walk Commences 16 Days

Author: Tanushree Rao

Dili, Timor-Leste — Marcelina Alberto Carlos shared her views while conducting the city's first Safety Audit Walk, in commemoration of the International Day to Eliminate Violence against Women on the 25th November 2017. She is one of two women aldeia (hamlet) leaders, of the 14 aldeias in the village of Comoro in Timor-Leste's capital Dili.

The Safety Audit Walk was an opportunity for women and girls to express their views on public safety in Comoro, Dili. Photo: UN Women/Ismenia Ximenes

Recognizing that for cities to be safe, authorities need to consider the distinct experiences of the diverse women and girls who live in them, NGOs and community members, with support from UN Women, organized Timor-Leste's 2017 Safety Audit as part of the annual 16 Days of Activism Campaign against Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

In Timor-Leste, more than one-third of women report that they have experienced violence in their lifetime. But there is a lot of silence around the issue, and many women do not talk about their experiences due to stereotypes and social stigma. Despite national progress including a 2010 Law Against Domestic Violence and a National Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence, other forms of GBV such as sexual harassment in public spaces are still widespread.

In addition to women and girls from the community, the walk was attended by village leaders, NGO representatives and other community members. Photo: UN Women/Tanushree Rao

Participants scored public spaces on how safe women and girls feel walking in them. Photo: UN Women/Ismenia Ximenes

The Safety Audit Walk aims to assess the safety of public spaces from the perspective of those who experience or feel the threat of insecurity in their communities, especially women and girls who are often targeted for sexual harassment and other forms of violence. It is also an opportunity for women and girls to identify what makes them feel safe or unsafe in public spaces and to create recommendations, together with local leaders, NGOs and other community members, to make the community safer.

Ms. Sunita Caminha, Head of UN Women's Timor-Leste Office, spoke alongside Eurico da Costa, Village Chief of Comoro. She explains the rationale behind the walk: "We all know someone who has experienced harassment or has been made to feel uncomfortable in public spaces- whether we have experienced it ourselves, or whether it's a friend, a sister or a colleague."

"And what we need is more stories of people standing up to speak out against harassment and sending the message that women have an equal right to feel safe and move freely in their own neighbourhoods. That's why we're doing the Safety Audit, to hear from women and girls themselves, and encourage actions we can all take together."

During the Safety Audit Walk, participants completed a 'scorecard' to rate the safety of various public spaces in Comoro, understanding the safety implications of women's daily lives. The walk aimed to increase awareness and action on community concerns, amplifying the voices of women and girls and providing a forum to discuss these concerns with local leaders, government institutions and NGOs.

Francisca Pereira Sousa Soares lives in the aldeia Kuartu Septembru in Comoro and works with local NGO Ba Futuru in Timor-Leste. She's participating in 16 Days as she believes women's safety will benefit the entire community, and based on her own experiences, she wants to tell her community that women have the right to be free from sexual harassment.

Francisca Pereira Sousa Soares, a Comoro resident, says it's time for women to be free from sexual harassment. Photo: UN Women/Tanushree Rao

"We can show the community here that now is the time for women to be free to walk," Francisca said.

"We must change how the community thinks. I think one day they can understand this."

UN Women Timor-Leste will continue its advocacy efforts over the next 16 days as part of its commitment to ending violence against women and to highlight its call for safe cities and communities now. Initiatives include three sexual harassment prevention workshops to raise young people's awareness and ability to act against sexual harassment and violence against women. The first workshop will be held for young entrepreneurs in partnership with UNDP, the second for high school students in partnership with the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and the third on prevention of harassment in public spaces for university students in collaboration with the National University for Timor-Leste.

Photo: UN Women/Tanushree Rao

The 16 Days Campaign, which began on 25 November, will continue until 10 December, International Human Rights Day, closing with the launch of Timor-Leste's first Civil Service Guidelines to address Sexual Harassment, developed by the Civil Service Commission with support from UN Women.